Life's Greatest Gift
by 7th Tazk
Summary: This is a humanized Fanfic about our favourite Ice Age characters in their last year of High School. Besides the daily challenges, for example Diego's and Shira's feelings for each other, that they are not able to confess to each other, the group will also have to face new problems, as some new guys move to town. Will the friends be able to cope with it? Rated T for language. R&R
1. Intro

Hello guys! First things first, i do not own Ice Age or any of it's original characters. Ice Age and it's characters belong to BlueSky Studios and Fox Entertainment.  
This also applies for any references on companies i make, throughout the story.  
A warning beforehand, this is my first try on writing a Fanfic. And to spice things up just a bit, i'm from Germany, which means that my english skills are not the best. I'll do as best as i can to get the spelling right, but it probably won't work all the time. So please do not expect to much, otherwise you could be disappointed.  
So, what's the story about? It's a humanized Fanfic, which means that it'll take place in moderb day times. It does not mean, that the characters included are actual humans. They're still animals, but with human characteristics. They're still covered in fur (no addiotional hair on their heads! Why would that be necessary?), sabers still have their fangs, mammoths their trunks and so on. Just imagine them walking on their hind legs.  
Still interested? Here's a little summary.

Actions take place in a town named Rivers Haven, which lies in the middle of a land called Great Valley. It's surrounded by forests, a mountain ridge to the north and several lakes. Due to a good infrastructure as well as plenty of ressources, many companies have settled there over the years, which made the town wealthy and living comfortable.  
In this town there lives a young saber, Diego, at the age of 18, who's attending his last year of High school. He's quick witted, smart, loyal to his friends (sometimes a bit overprotective) and can be very stubborn. With scores always around 90 and doing IB, he's trying to receive a scholarship from the biggest company in town, Nano Med Solutuions, which is lead by Scott Miller, who's also the father of Shira Miller, Diegos secret crush. (I hope this made sense to you in some way)  
They both know each other since they were childs and used to hang out together a lot back then.  
Shira is also very smart, caring and very honest. She likes Diego, just as much as he likes her, but they're both too shy to tell each other how they feel.  
This and other things are about to change, when a new family moves to town. New friends will be made, old friendships restored, love will be found and lost and battles be fought.

I hope you enjoy!

Diego woke up by the noise of his alarm clock. Stretching his limbs and yawning he turned it off, before standing up and heading to the bathroom. After brushing his teeth he went downstairs into the living room to do his daily workout, which consisted of 200 push ups, 200 sit ups and 200 squats. Every morning and evening. This routine finished, he went back to the bath and took a shower before he put on some grey shorts, a black t-shirt as well as some splashes of his favourite fragrance. His breakfast included scrambled eggs, some cereals and a glass of water. After gulping down this meal, Diego packed up his bag, grabbed the keys from a shelf and left the house, heading for the driveway, where he got into his dads former car, a matte black Lexus RC F, and drove to school.

Laying on his bed Akira looked at the clock, reading 5.30am. Lost in thoughts and memories he hadn't had much sleep last night. ,,New town, new school, last year'' he thought to himself. , _,Rivers Haven, huh? Not much of a haven at all. This place is huge. I'm glad we were able to effort a house here_.'' He stood up, put on some shorts and a black tanktop and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. After doing so, Akira went downstairs into the kitchen to prepare something for breakfast. This morning it was bacon and eggs. He placed the food on three plates and put them in the oven to keep it warm. This done, he went upstairs again to knock at the door right next to the staircase. Not hearing any response, Akira cautiously opened it and went inside.  
He found a beautiful saberess sleeping in her bed. Most of her fur was of a shining white, the bridge of her nose, aswell as the top of her head were colored black. On her back, beginning at the neck and down to the hips, there was a gradation from black to white. The same gradation could be found at her hands and up to her wrists aswell as at her feet, up to her lower legs. On her chest she had a diamond shaped black spot. She looked gorgeous.  
Akira stood right beside her bed and bent down to place a gentle kiss on her cheek from which she woke. She looked at him with her emerald blue eyes, trying to capture the situation.  
,, _Morning sleepy-head. Time to get up_.'' Akira said, smiling down on her. ,, _How late is it, Aki_?'' the girl asked. ,, _Around 6am i'd say. Breakfast is in the oven_ '' he replied, leaving the room. ,, _Come on now, Bella. Or do you want to be late at your first day_?'' he added, while walking down the corridor, towards the door right at the end of it. Stepping inside the room, Akira was greeted with an infernal snorring, which protruded from an old saberess sleeping in an armchair right next to the window. Akira gently stroked her soulder to wake her. ,, _Aargh, take your filthy hands off me you scu_...'' the old lady shouted, a scared look on her face. But she quickly relaxed when she noticed who was standing besides her. ,, _Ohh it's you, Akira. How many times did i tell you not to scare me like that_?'' she said accusingly. ,, _Sorry granny, but i've tried my best. Alright, now let's get you ready for breakfast, shall we_?'' Akira replied. ,, _Is your sister awake_?'' his grandma asked. ,, _She's already downstairs_.'' he responded. ,, _Did you already shower_?'' she further asked. ,, _Not yet_.'' he answered. ,, _I've noticed that, young man_.'' Granny remarked, smirking a bit. ,, _Yeah well, after helping you out, preparing breakfast and working out, I would have to shower anyways. Why doing it twice and waste water_?'' Akira replied, trying to defend himself. ,, _Whatever smartass_ '' she interrupted. ,, _Would you mind helping an old lady stand up_?'' ,, _That's what i'm here for_ '' he responded.  
After helping out his grandma in the bathroom, Akira went down to the basement and into the little training room they had there, to do his workout. 50 pull ups, 200 sit ups and 200 squats later, he went upstairs again and into the bathroom to hit the shower. Afterwards he put on some black shorts and a dark blue t-shirt and applied a deodorant aswell as some splashes of a fragrance he got from his sister.  
,, _How do you two feel right now_?'' granny asked them, while they were eating together. ,, _Are you nervous_?'' ,, _Very_ '' Isabell replied shortly. ,, _It'll be alright Bella_ '' Akira said, trying to calm her down. ,, _I still regret that we moved. Everything's different here_ '' Granny remarked. ,, _It was the best solution. For us and probably for you too_.'' Akira replied. ,, _Maybe you're right. But try to stay out of troulbe this time, young man_ '' she responded, raising a warning finger. ,, _It's not like i wanted this to happen_ '' he said in defense. ,, _Isabell, promise me that you'll keep an eye on him_ '' Granny said to his sister, ignoring Akira's sarcastic remark. ,, _I'll do my best_ '' Isabell replied. ,, _Hopefully. You two should go now. I don't want you to be late on your first day_.'' Isabell and her brother packed up their bags and got ready to leave. ,, _Leftovers of yesterdays dinner are in the fridge, grandma. Just heat them up in the microwave oven. See you then._ '' Akira said, grabbing the keys from a shelf. ,, _Thank you Aki. You guys can use the car if you want_.'' their grandma said. ,, _Thank's grandma_ '' Isabell responded. ,, _I don't even know why your grandpa had to buy this new car. I guess we'll never know. At least it's of use for you now. But drive carefully_!'' she added. ,, _We will. Bye granny_.'' With that, Akira and his sister went outside and got into the Toyota Auris Touring Sports that was parked in the driveway and went off to school.

That's all for the moment. I know it's not that much, but there's more to come. I'll try to make sure to upload every two days. Would be great if you could leave me a review. Would really appreciate it.

For now, thank you for reading and see you next time, if you like. :)


	2. The First and Last

**Here's the second chapter to my story. I hope you enjoy.**  
 **Please note, that i don't know too much about the educational system in the US. I hope i got everything right, but feel free to correct me, if i made a mistake.**

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Diego got out of the Lexus, locked it and left it standing at the parking lot of the school.

Rivershore High was a big building complex consisting of the mainbuilding, the full court gym, an indoor swimming pool and a library, aswell as football yard close by. The buildings had glass fronts and rather huge window areas which gave them a futuristic look. The glass even dimmed itself when exposed to sunlight, so the class room wouldn't heat up to much. But it was also capable of saving a certain amount of heat, which became useful during winter period.

When Diego arrived at his locker, a tall mammoth and a sloth were already waiting for him.  
, _,Mornin' pal! How's your summer been_?'' ,, _You mean the few days he hasn't spend with us, camping at the lake_?''  
Sid and Manny. His longtime friends. They had gone through many trouble over the past years, and had always supported each other, no matter the reason or the cost. It made them grow closer. They knew that they could trust and rely on the others and Diego was sure, that Manny and Sid had been and always would be honest to him, just like he was to them.  
,, _Alright i'd say_ '' Diego answered Sid's question. ,, _Good to see you guys_ '' ,, _Alright huh? More working out than anything else i suppose_?'' Manny remarked. ,, _What do you mean exactly_?'' Diego wanted to know. , _,Oh come on! Don't try to fool me. A quick look at you and one can tell that you've been hitting the weights often lately_.'' Manny replied. ,, _I just want to stay in shape, that's all_!'' Diego said in defense. Right then, Ellie, Manny's girlfriend came rushing towards them. She placed a gentle kiss on her boyfriends cheek, which caused the tall guy to blush a little beneath his fur. It made Diego and Sid chuckle. ,, _It's so nice to see you guys! How are you_?'' Ellie greeted them. ,, _Good to see you too! I guess i'm fine, besides the fact that school started all over again_ '' Sid replied. ,, _What about you, tiger? Muscles still sore from yesterdays workout_?'' Ellie wanted to know from Diego. ,, _How do you know that i_...'' Diego started, before he realized that she just tried to fool him and he fell for it. They all started laughing. In that moment, a young saberess joined their group greeting everyone hastily. ,, _Hi! How was camping_?'' Shira asked towards the boys. ,, _It was great! We had so much fun and_ …'' Sid wanted to answer, when he was interrupted by her. ,, _Sorry i'd like to here all of it, but i'm in a bit of a hurry. There's a new girl at school and i offered myself to show her around a bit. See you guys at lunch ok_?'' With that she sped off, down the hallway. Diego looked after her, thinking about how beautiful she looked today. The others noticed him staring and started to chuckle. ,, _Ahh, young love_ '' Ellie teased. ,, _Are you going to ask her out this year_?'' Manny added. ,, _Stop it guys'_ ' Diego growled. ,, _What's the matter big guy? I think she really likes you. Why wouldn't she? And you've obviously fallen for her. So where's the problem_?'' Ellie remarked. ,, _The problem i have, is that i don't want to risk the friendship we share. And you know that_!'' Diego replied. ,, _Sometimes you have to risk it all, in order to gain something you always wanted_ '' Sid said. ,, _Since when are you that poetic_?'' Ellie teased. ,, _I read it on the internet the other day_ '' Sid answered smiling. ,, _Whatever guys. Sid, who's the new guy over there_?'' Manny asked, pointing at a saber standing in the middle of the hallway with some papers in his hands, obviously trying to orientate himself. ,, _Why do you ask me_?'' Sid asked. ,, _Because, usually you're the first one to know stuff like that_ '' Diego remarked. ,, _He moved to town this summer along with his sister_.'' Sid finally answered.  
,, _See? I knew you'd know_ '' Manny said happily. ,, _Judging by the looks of him, i'd say that he's going to face hard times around here_.'' he added.  
Compared to other male sabers, Akira's fur was of a rather special color. Most of it was of a pale brown. The back of his neck was colored in black, the front of it had a light grey color. His muzzle and cheeks aswell as his hands up to his wrists were of a creme white. The bridge of his nose and a small area beneath his eyes again were pale brown. The area at the side of his eyes and above his eyebrows was of the same grey as the front of his neck. His ears again were black on the outside and creme white on the inside. All in all it made him stick out. And he hated it. Now he was standing here, in the middle of the hallway, on the first day at a new school, having no idea how to get to his first class. A few minutes ago, the principal had asked him if a fellow student should show him around a bit, just like his sister. He refused this offer, but now he regreted his decision. He snapped out of his thoughts, when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to see a saber at about his age, with bright orange fur, lean muscular build and hazel green eyes. ,, _Looks like you could use some help_ '' the person said. ,, _Oh, uhm, yeah... i'm new here and uhh... i don't know how to get to my first class. I'm Akira by the way_.'' ,, _Diego_.'' the other one introduced himself shortly. They shook hands and Akira handed Diego his schedule. ,, _Let's have a look. Your first periods are the same as mine, you just need to follow me. I can show you the way to your last class during lunch break, if that's ok with you_ '' Diego said. Akira knew that he should accept this generous offer, but instead he just stood there, saying nothing. This was the first time that someone actually wanted to help him, without mocking him because of his looks and he simply didn't know how to respond to that. ,, _That would be great, but i don't want to be a burden_ '' He finally answered. ,, _You're welcome_ '' Diego replied.

First class was biology. Akira entered the classroom alongside Diego and noone seemed to take notice of him. Which was just fine. The less the attention, the better. ,, _You can sit next to me, if you want_ '' a sloth greeted him, pointing at a table to his right. ,, _Thank's. I'm Akira_ '' he said in response and sat down. ,, _I'm Sid. Nice to meet you_.'' the sloth replied. ,, _Where did you move from_?'' Sid wanted to know, but before Akira could answer, the teacher, Mrs Benton, entered the classroom. ,, _Good morning and welcome to your last year!_ '' she greeted. The class responded with a ,, _Good morning_ ''. Though Mrs Benton was a small antelope women, who had difficulties to reach the top of the board, she was definetly treated with respect. Overall she seemed to be a nice and understanding person, but there was something strict about her. ,, _As long as i play by her rules, i should be fine_ '' Akira thought to himself.  
,, _And as i see, there's a new student amongst us_!'' Mrs Benton said. Akiras blood froze at this remark. He had hoped that he could avoid this awkward situation. ,, _Well Mr Taylor, would you mind coming in front to introduce yourself_?'' It sounded more like a command then a question. Akira did as he was asked to and when he reached the teachers desk he turned around to face the class. He hated this. All eyes on him. ,, _Hi, i'm Akira, i'm 18 years old and i moved to town this summer, together with my sister and grandma_.'' he quickly introduced himself. ,, _May i ask you where you come from_?'' Mrs Benton wanted to know. And there it was, the question of questions. ,, _Where do you come from_ '' or ,, _Why do you look like you do_ ''. Always the same list of questions, since he was a child. ,, _Well, from Great Valley_ '' Akira answered evasively. ,, _Yes, but i want to know where your family originally comes from_ '' she responded. ,, _My great-grandfather came here from a far away island, many decades ago. Since then my family lives here_.'' he said. ,, _That's what i was interested in_.'' Mrs Benton said with a smile. ,, _Is there anything else we should know about you? Any interests or hobbys_?'' she added. ,, _Is this women never going to stop asking questions_?'' Akira thought. ,, _I like to do sports. Swimming, biking, fitness training_.'' he answered truthfully. ,, _Ahh, an athlete, i see. Let's hope it's not just all about the muscles Mr Taylor. Let's do a little revision, shall we_?''  
,, _If you insist, Mrs Benton_.'' Akira reponded nervously. ,, _Please explain us the bloodflow through the heart_.'' she commanded. ,, _Alright, uhm... de-oxygenated blood enters the right atrium via the inferior vena cava, From there it's pumped through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle and from there further, through the pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery and into the lungs, where it is re-oxygenated. The oxygenated blood enters the left atrium via the pulmonary veins and is pumped through the mitral valve into the left ventricle and from there through the aortic valve into the aorta and towards the organs_.'' Akira answered. ,, _Thank you Mr Taylor, you may sit down now_.'' Mrs Benton replied. He walked back to his place and slumped down onto the chair. ,, _Wow, that was cruel_.'' Sid remarked. ,, _Like you have no idea_ '' Akira replied. ,, _Do you have anything to add, Mr Taylor_?'' Mrs Benton asked, noticing their little chat. ,, _No nothing. Sorry_.'' he said. ,, _Then do me a favor and stay quiet and follow the lesson. Thank you_.'' she said in a harsh tone.

First periods passed by quickly, and soon it was lunch time. Akira grabbed his meal from the locker, which was conviniently right next to Sid's, and they both headed for the cafeteria.  
Sid walked towards a table where Diego and his other friends where already sitting and joined them. ,, _Can i eat with you_?'' Akira asked. ,, _But of course you can_!'' a friendly looking mammoth girl responded smiling. She introduced herself as Ellie. Akira shook hands with her and Manny. The tall guy was introduced as Ellies boyfriend. Akira sat down next to Sid and started eating. He noticed Manny eyeing him, but since he didn't ask anything, Akira decided to ignore it. A few minutes later, two girls joined them at their table. One of them, a saberess with grey and white fur and beautiful sapphire blue eyes sat down next to Ellie. Akira couldn't help but to stare at her for a few moments. Diego noticed that but it didn't concern him. He knew that Shira had this effect on guys. Akira snapped out of his trance, when the other girl sat down next to him. ,, _Hey Aki, how was your day so far_?'' his sister asked him. ,, _So you are Akira, huh? I heard a few things about you. I'm Shira_.'' the saberess introduced herself. ,, _Only good things i hope_.'' Akira replied with a look at his sister. Isabell was introduced to the group aswell. ,, _Wow, you're gorgeous_!'' Sid remarked, earning surprised looks from the others. ,, _She's his sister_!'' Ellie shouted at him, a look of disbelieve in her face. Manny choked upon his meal on Sid's remark and was coughing severely. ,, _Good old Sid, straight forward,as usual_.'' Diego said. ,, _S Sorry, i it wasn't supposed to come out like that_!'' Sid tried to apologize. ,, _Hey Romeo, slow down a bit. It's her first day_!'' Akira replied before he and his sister started laughing. ,, _It's alright Sid, you're not the only one to tell her that_.'' he added. Sid was happy, that Akira wasn't taking his comment amiss. ,, _How did you get along so far_?'' Shira wanted to know from him. ,, _Just fine, thank's to Diego. He showed me around a bit_.'' Akira responded. ,, _Yup, that's our Diego, always lending a helping hand, without hesitation_.'' Ellie teased. Akira noticed Shira smiling at Diego, who was blushing slightly, and he wondered if something was going on between these two. That certain moment was suddenly disrupted by a group of guys coming over to their table. ,, _Hey gorgeous, have you thought about our date this wednesday_?'' a saber with pale orange fur asked Shira. ,, _I already told you that i'm not interested in you, Darren. Guess what, i didn't change my mind_!'' Shira replied, rolling her eyes. ,, _Oh come on sweetie, i'm the perfect choice! You know that, right_?'' Darren remarked. Akira noticed Diego staring at the guy in anger. Isabell got up from her chair and turned around to face Darren. ,, _You heard her. She said no! Now would you please leave her alone_?'' she growled at him. ,, _Temper, temper. Don't stress yourself, beauty_.'' Darren replied in a deep voice, placing his hand under Isabell's chin. Akira got up, spun around and grabbed Darren by his wrist. ,, _Get your hands off of her_!'' he growled. ,, _And who the hell are you_?'' Darren hissed, breaking free from Akira's grip. ,, _Im her brother_!'' he heard in response. ,, _How is it even possible, that a beautiful girl like her, is the sister of such a freak_!'' Darren shouted at him, so the whole cafeteria could hear it. ,, _Judging by your looks, your parents must've been siblings to create such an abomination_!'' he added mockingly. ,, _Don't you dare to speak about our parents like that_!'' Isabell hissed. ,, _Aww, did i hit a weak spot, darling_?'' Darren replied. ,, _Non of your business. Just piss off_!'' Akira growled. Darren grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. ,, _You're not in the position to give me orders! And if you ever try to mess with me again, i'll make sure you'll regret it_!'' Darren hissed. ,, _I'm not afraid of you_!'' Akira replied. ,, _We'll see_.'' With that, Darren loosened his grip and walked off with his friends. Akira was boiling with rage, his fists tightly clenched. Everyone in the cafeteria was staring at him. He felt a hand grabbing him by his wrist. ,, _Calm down Aki, please just ignore that guy. I don't want to move again_.'' his sister pleaded. He relaxed a bit and looked her in the eyes. ,, _Me not either. Sorry_.'' With that he sat back down. ,, _Take it easy. Don't grant him the gratification to see you grow angry about his insults_.'' Diego said.  
,, _At least now you know who you're dealing with_.'' Manny remarked. ,, _Make's it easier, doesn't it_?'' he added. ,, _Yeah well,... i better prepare for next class_.'' Akira said, while he packed up his stuff. ,, _Shall i tell you how to find it_?'' Diego asked. ,, _Thank's, but i think i'll find it myself_.'' With that said, he walked off. ,, _Yeesh, is he always like that? I was afraid they would beat each other up right there and then_.'' Sid remarked, still slightly shocked. ,, _Well, he's very protective. Since we were childs he always tried to keep me out of trouble_.'' Isabell replied. ,, _Why exactly did you have to move from your old town_?'' Manny asked, earning a bump to the side, from his girlfriend. ,, _What? Am i not allowed to ask_?'' he added. ,, _No offens, but i don't want to talk about that topic when Aki isn't around_.'' Isabell replied. A few moments later the bell rang, signaling that lunch break was nearly over. They packed up their stuff and headed for next class.

Akira's last class was calculus. He arrived there early, so he could have some time for himself, to recap what had just happened. He regretted the way he reacted in front of the group, that he let his anger take control. He was not one whit better than Darren. And the worst part of it was, that he had scared his sister. Lost in thoughts he didn't notice, that the room was slowly filling with other students. Soon the bell rang, and the teacher, Mr Martinez spreaded some worksheets and told them to work on the tasks in pairs of two. Akira looked around, noticing that many had already found someone to work with. ,, _Mr Taylor, i think Ms Miller here is still searching for a partner. I bet you two make a good team, won't you_?'' Mr Martinez remarked, raising an eyebrow. Akira walked towards the table that the teacher was pointing at and sat down next to a saber girl. ,, _Hi, i'm Akira_.'' he introduced himself. ,, _Lara_.'' she shortly replied.  
She was one of the most beautiful beings he had ever seen. Her fur was of a light grey, with a lynx like, black pattern, while the front of her neck, her muzzle, the area around her eyes aswell as the insides of her ears, were of a shining white. But most fascinating to him, were her aquamarine eyes. He could swear that he had seen such eyes before, but he couldn't recall where and to whom they belonged. ,, _Hello? Are you still there_?'' Lara asked him, waving her hands in front of his face. ,, _Yeah, uhm... Sorry, got a little distracted_.'' he replied, blushing a bit. ,, _I could tell. I'm not going to do all the work on my own. I hope you're good at this_.'' she said, handing him a worksheet, wich he quickly skimmed over. ,, _Decent i'd say_.'' he responded. ,, _Me too. Let's hope we can help each other out_.'' she remarked. With that they started their work. At the time they had their tasks finished, the others were still in the middle of it. Lara and Akira handed in their work and were allowed to leave. Akira was walking down the empty hallway, when he noticed Lara, coming up behind him. ,, _Liar_!'' she shouted at him. ,, _Uh, what_?'' he asked in confusion. ,, _You weren't just decent in that_.'' she remarked, a smirk on her face. ,, _You've not been completely honest to me aswell_.'' he replied in defense. Suddenly he realized, where he had seen those beautiful eyes before and decided to ask her about that. ,, _Can i ask you a question_?'' ,, _Ok, but you're not getting my number_!'' she responded. ,, _Oh,no,no. That's not what i wanted to ask you. I was just curious if you're by any chance related to a girl named Shira_?'' he asked. ,, _She's my sister. How did you know_?'' ,, _Your eyes. Your eyes are as pretty as hers_.'' he said, blushing bright red beneath his fur, on his own remark. ,, _Oh god that sounded like a bad pick-up line. Sorry_.'' he quickly added. ,, _Yes it did. But thank's for the compliment_.'' she replied, before both started laughing. ,, _Look, gotta go now, but see you around,ok_?'' ,, _Sure_.'' With that they parted and Akira headed for the parking lot, to wait for his sister. A few minutes later he spotted her alongside the rest of the group. ,, _Well, how was your last class_?'' she asked him. ,, _Pretty good. I met Shira's sister_.'' he replied. ,, _Did you? Sorry if she was a bit short at words. Has nothing to do with you personally_.'' Shira remarked. ,, _Oh, it was alright. We had to work together for calculus. And i'm not talking too much either_.'' Akira responded. ,, _Is that your car_?'' Manny asked, pointing at the Toyota that Akira was leaning against. ,, _It's that of our grandparents. But since grandma isn't able to drive anymore, we can use it at will_.'' Isabell answered his question. ,, _I'd be happy to drive one of those. My old Truck is slowly giving out_.'' Manny complained. ,, _I already told you to come over to my place, so we can have a look at it_.'' Diego remarked. ,, _Yeah, we should do that soon. Anyways, gotta go now. See you tomorrow_.'' With that, Manny and Ellie left, Sid following them shortly after. ,, _We should go now too, Bella. Granny is surely growing more and more impatient by the minute_.'' Akira said. ,, _Right, don't want to keep the old lady waiting, do we_?'' Isabell replied. ,, _Oh and thank you for showing me around today_.'' she added, looking at Shira. ,, _Anytime. See you guys tomorrow. Bye_.'' Shira responded, slowly walking off alongside Diego, who was just waving his hand for goodbye. ,, _Uhm, Diego_!'' Akira called after him. ,, _Hmm_?'' Diego shortly replied, turning around to him. ,, _If you need help with that truck, i could lend a hand. If you want. Just ask, alright_?'' Akira said. ,, _I'll get back to that_.'' Diego replied, turning around again to catch up with Shira. Akira and Isabell got in the car and drove off.

,, _So, what do you think of them_?'' Shira asked. ,, _They seem to be alright. Both kind and honest. Though he reacts very impulsively when it comes to his family_.'' Diego replied. ,, _I know a certain someone who used to react the same way Akira did today_.'' Shira teased. ,, _But i learned to control my anger_.'' Diego said defensively. ,, _Only because of your special training. I think you two have a few more things in common_.'' she responded. ,, _Like what_?'' Diego wanted to know. ,, _For example you both like sports. Everyone can see that_.'' she answered. ,, _Uhh, thank's_.'' he said, not knowing how to respond to that. ,, _You could show him how to contain his anger_.'' Shira suggested. ,, _Shira, we just met them. I barely know him_!'' Diego remarked. ,, _Oh come on, big guy. You wouldn't have helped him today, if you thought it would be a waste of time_.'' she said, taking his hands into hers, looking deep into his hazel green eyes. ,, _Maybe you're right_.'' he said. ,, _You know i am. Ok softie, see you tomorrow_.'' Shira said, smirking. ,, _Have a nice afternoon, kitty_.'' Diego replied. He liked it when they were calling each other by their nicknames. Always reminded him of the good times they had spend together. With that, they both said goodbye. Diego got into his Lexus and hit the road.

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 **That's it for chapter 2. Next one is already in progress. I would really appreciate a review, just to know what you think about this project. Anyway, thank's for reading.**


	3. Good Times

**Hey guys, the next chapter of my story is finally up! Sorry that i kept you waiting, but i was busy with work lately.**  
 **A note beforehand; Throughout the next chapters i'll make notes on the songs i was listening to, while writing a certain part of my story. You can choose yourself wether to listen to them or not. These songs were inspiring me and set me in the right mood. I do not own any of them.**  
 **Enjoy**.

* * *

As soon as he arrived at home, Diego threw off his bag, and stripped down, just to put on some blue shorts, a grey tanktop, aswell as his running shoes. He went downstairs into the basement entered the training room, stepped on the treadmill and started running. After doing that for at least 30 minutes, he continued his workout for another one and a half hour, doing bench presses, leg presses, pull ups, sit ups, shoulder presses, barbell curls and so on, before he went upstairs again, to take a shower.  
His homework and chores done, Diego decided to relax a bit, playing some video games via his PS4, casually texting with Manny and Sid. They were mocking him again, about his feelings for Shira and made suggestions on how he could confess his feelings to her. Growing weary of this topic, he turned his phone and console off and went into the kitchen, to prepare something for dinner. He steamed salmon and some vegetables over a bit of water and cooked some rice. Finished eating, Diego went back to the living room to watch TV for an hour, before he headed upstairs to brush his teeth and going to bed afterwards. But he wasn't able to fall asleep. Diego lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking back at the times, he and his parents would drive to a place called Sunsets Hideout, during weekends.  
Sunsets Hideout is a lake that is located half an hour away from Rivers Haven. It lies uphill, at the base of the mountain range that borders the north of the town, and is surrounded by a forest which is consisting of redwood trees and pines. One can reach it by car, driving on curled streets, or by using one of the many bike trails, which is highly recommended if one wants to enjoy nature at it's best. Once arriving at the lakes azure blue waters, the forest reveals an astonishing look at the mountains and their snowy hilltops. Nearby there are some hotsprings which are highly frequented during the cold months. Fifteen minutes away from the lake, there is a outdoor stage, built in the style of a greek theatre, the tiers ascending from the center outwards. Concerts are taking place there periodically.  
Diego loved this place. During holidays, he and his parents would enjoy relaxing in natures embrace. Sometimes they even planned trips to the Hideout together with the Millers, which was great, because it meant, that he could spend time together with Shira. He still remembered it as if it was yesterday.  
 _Flashback_ ( Ed Sheeran - Castle on the Hills)  
He had just turned eight and she was still seven years old. They swam side by side, when Diego suddenly submerged and disappaered under the waters surface. Shira looked around in confusion, not knowing where he was. She waited for him to come back up, when she was pulled under water too. Before she could react, Diego took hold of her shoulders and pushed her down. She freed herself by kicking her right foot to his stomach, causing some air to leave his lungs. Catching him off guard she flipped him over, with her ending up on top of him. With her face close to his, they looked into each others eyes and time appeared to stand still. ,, _I could loose myself in those beautiful eyes of her. She's just gorgeous_.'' ,, _I like the way he smiles at me. I feel save around him_.'' With their lungs practically screaming for air, they got back up at the surface again and swam to the shore. Getting out of the water, Shira slipped on a slick stone and fell to the ground. ,, _Ouch, ahh... damnit_!'' she growled, tears welling up her eyes. Diego crouched next to her. ,, _Are you alright_?'' he asked with a worried look on his face. ,, _Oww,... it hurts_.'' she replied, cupping her right foot in her hands. Trying to comfort her, Diego gathered some wet moss and applied it on her ankle. The cooling effect eased the pain a bit. ,, _Do you think you can walk_?'' he asked cautiously. ,, _I hope so_!'' she replied. Diego helped her to stand up and she tried to take a few steps. But as soon as she put weight on her foot, the pain was getting unbearable for her and she slumped down again. ,, _Argh... that's not going to work. Go and get my father. I'll stay here and wait for him_.'' she said, tears running down her cheek. ,, _I'm not going to leave you here like that_!'' Diego responded, lifting her off of the ground. It wasn't that hard for him since she wasn't heavy. With her arms wrapped around his neck, he carried Shira back to her parents. ,, _Didn't know you were such a softie_.'' she said teasingly. ,, _Yeah, whatever. Next time you better watch your step, kitty_!'' he replied with a cocky smile. She growled at him playfully in respond. She leaned closer to his face and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, whispering a ,, _thank you_ '' in his ear. Diego blushed a bright red beneath his fur and nearly tripped over his feet. Shira chuckled about that.  
 _End of flashback_ ( Also the end of the song ;) )  
Only one year later, things changed. Drastically. He hadn't been at Sunsets Hideout to often since then. Also he and Shira stopped hanging out together. Though he didn't exactly know why. This summer he spent a week camping with his friends at the lake and they had a great time there; but he had felt like something, no, someone had been missing. With these memories in mind, he slowly began to slip away.  
The next day, Diego met Manny and Sid at the lockers, both talking to Akira. ,, _Morning_.'' he greeted them, shaking hands with the guys. ,, _Didn't see your car in the parking lot. Was wondering if you might not come today_.'' he said towards Akira. ,, _Ahh, no. Me and my sister took the bus this morning_.'' ,, _Why that_?'' Manny wanted to know. ,, _Just wanted to make sure, that we would make it to school, even if the car gives out eventually one day_.'' Akira replied. ,, _Aren't you driving a Toyota_?'' Sid asked. ,, _Yup_.'' he shortly responded. ,, _Then why the hell are you worrying about something like that_?'' Sid remarked, making them laugh. Akira liked him. He was open hearted, kind and one of the most honest persons he ever met. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and yes, sometimes he was making his own life harder, by just telling what he was thinking. But no matter how often he was bullied by others, he always had a smile on his face. ,, _Where's Ellie, by the way? It's strange not to see her around you Manny._ '' Diego said. ,, _She already went to class, together with Shira and Isabell_.'' Manny replied, shrugging. ,, _They seem to get along nicely, huh_?'' Diego remarked. ,, _Well, they share the same interests_.'' Sid said. ,, _And what exactly do you mean by that_?'' Akira wanted to know. ,, _Ah sorry, you couldn't know, but Ellie and Shira are both members of the theatre club_.'' Sid said in response. ,, _But how's my sister connected to that_?'' Akira asked further. ,, _She wants to join our high school orchestra. And the orchestra and theatre club are working together closely_.'' Sid said truthfully. ,, _Huh, Bella didn't mention that she wanted to join them_.'' Akira said, a surprised look showing on his face. ,, _She's all grown up! There's no need for her to tell you about everything she's doing_.'' Manny remarked. ,, _Sure, but i'm always a bit worried about her_.'' he said in defense. ,, _As Manny said, she's grown up and able to take care of herself_.'' Diego responded. ,, _Well, i'm glad she's already making friends here_.'' Akira replied. ,, _And why that_?'' Manny asked, raising an eyebrow. ,, _Because it is much easier to settle in to a new school if you have some friends to support you_.'' he responded, shrugging. Noticing Manny and Diego, looking at him with questioning expressions, he realized he made a mistake. Akira started to feel terrible for being so awkwardly forward, showing them how much he wanted to make friends himself, or just to be accepted amongst them. ,, _Uhm, alright guys..., need to go to class now. See you at lunch_.'' he said, slowly backing off, to escape this embarassing situation as fast as he could. ,, _Well done, you idiot! How stupid are you, blowing your cover like that? Can't you play it cool, just for once_?'' Akira thought to himself, clenching his right fist while making his way to class. ,, _What was that all about? Did he just say he wants us to be friends_?'' Manny asked, laughing slightly. ,, _Seems like that_.'' Diego said, shrugging. ,, _Is there anything wrong with that_?'' Sid wanted to know from his friends, folding his arms. ,, _Well, we barely know him, Sid_!'' Manny answered. ,, _I don't know about you, but as far as i'm considered, i think he's a good guy and he deserves a chance_.'' Sid said in response. ,, _Yeah, but we don't know anything about this guy_.'' Diego remarked. ,, _His name is Akira! And neither did we when we first met. We had totally nothing in common and still we became friends. you should consider this_!'' Sid replied angrily, walking off and leaving his friends dumbfounded.  
First periods passed without anything special happening. During lunch, the group gathered at their table at the cafeteria. Akira, trying to avoid questions about the situation before, quickly began gulping down his meal. After a few minutes, Ellie broke the silence. ,, _Are we still meeting at Sunsets Hideout this weekend_?'' she asked the group. ,, _I'm in, as long as the weather is fine_.'' Diego replied. ,, _Count me in_!'' Sid responded. ,, _Uhm, my sister wants to come with us too. Is that ok with you guys_?'' Shira asked. ,, _Sure, no problem at all_.'' Manny said. ,, _What about you and Akira? Want to join us_?'' Ellie asked towards Isabell. ,, _I'd love to come_!'' Isabell replied happily. ,, _Akira_?''  
Still lost in his thoughts, the young saber didnt even take notice of the conversation going on and was instead just staring into space. Until Sid poked him in the side. ,, _Huh? What_?'' ,, _We asked if you would like to meet up with us at Sunsets Hideout this weekend_.'' Manny explained to him. ,, _I'd like to, if that's ok with you_.'' Akira replied shyly. ,, _Wouldn't have asked you if it wasn't_.'' Diego responded with a smile. ,, _Then it's defenite! I'll text you the exact time later this week_ '' Ellie said, finishing the topic. Akira didn't show it, but he was happy that they had asked him and his sister if they would like to come along. He thought that this little trip might be a good chance to get to know each other a bit better.  
After last period, Akira headed for the parking lot, where he and his sister wanted to meet. He spotted the group, standing a few yards away. Lara was with them too. Just when he wanted to walk over to them, something hit him in the back of his head. Stumbling forward, he regained his footing quickly, looking around in confusion. He found the object that had hit him, laying right next to him. A football. It didn't take him long to figure out who had thrown it, since Darren and the team couldn't contain their laughter. ,, _Hey you freak! Sorry, it just slipped out of my hands. Throw it back_!'' Darren commanded. Akira did as he was told, biting his lower lip to prevent himself from responding to Darrens insult. He just wanted to get away from him. His sister came walking over to him, asking if he was alright. ,, _Yeah, it's nothing. Come one, let's go_.'' he replied. They both didn't notice that, behind their backs, Darren was getting ready to throw at Akira again. Only this time the football missed him by a few inches and hit Isabell in the forehead instead. She stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. ,, _Darren, you idiot! Stop it already_!'' Akira heard someone say. Turning around, he saw one guy of the football team running over to them. ,, _Are you alright_?'' the broad shouldered saber asked, reaching a hand towards Isabell to help her up. ,, _Yeah, i guess. Thank you_.'' she replied, still confused of what had just happened. ,, _I'll make him pay for that_!'' Akira hissed through gritted teeth. But the other saber grabbed him by his shoulder. ,, _Not a good idea. You two should leave now. I'll handle the rest_.'' he said with a calm voice. To avoid further trouble, Akira did his best to contain his anger and walked off, alongside his sister. Glancing back, he saw the other guy throwing the football back to Darren. Because of the force it was thrown with, Darren wasn't able to catch the football and was instead hit in the stomach by it, leaving him gasping for air. Akira smiled about that.  
,, _Well that's something new. Never saw Soto acting that way_.'' Diego said when Akira and Isabell reached the group. ,, _Yeah, usually he's as much of an idiot as the rest of the team_.'' Manny remarked. ,, _You think so? I always considered him to be the more reasonable one_.'' Lara replied. ,, _Whatever. Shall i give you a lift home_?'' Diego asked Isabell and her brother. ,, _That would be great_.'' Isabell responded quickly, before Akira could say anything. ,, _Alright then, let's go_.'' Diego said, leaving alongside the two, after saying goodbye to the others. When they arrived at Diego's car, Akira thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. ,, _You're driving a RC-F? No fucking way_!'' he shouted, staring in disbelieve at the matte white painted Lexus. ,, _Glad you like it_ '' Diego responded, smiling. ,, _Boys and their cars_.'' Isabell said with a sigh, rolling her eyes. ,, _Are you kidding me? I've always wanted to drive one of these_!'' Akira replied. ,, _Come on now boys, let's head home. It's been a long day_.'' Isabell said, getting into the car. ,, _Your parents must be wealthy, if they can effort to buy you such a car. Not to mention those lightweight alloys and tires i just saw_.'' Akira said, a cocky smile showing on his face. By this remark, Diego's expression changed, turning darker, almost sad. Akira wondered if he had done anything wrong again and was proven right when Diego answered. ,, _Actually, this car is the last thing that is left from my parents_.'' he said in a sad tone. Akira started to feel bad again immediatly, wanting to punch himself in the face for what he had just said. This was already the second time this day, that he had caused a embarassing situation by speeking before thinking. But this time it was far worse, because he had actually hurt someone with what he said. ,, _Ah shit,... i- i'm so, so sorry for what i just said. I'm usually not the type of guy that is judging a book by it's cover. Besides, me and Isabell know how it feels to loose your parents. I'm really, really sorry that i've been prejudging_.'' Akira tried to apologize. To his surprise, a faint smile was showing on Diego's face. ,, _Is he always apologizing himself that often_?'' he asked, looking at Isabell through the back mirror. ,, _All the time_ '' she responded, laughing a bit. Akira was just sitting there in silence, not knowing how to react to this. ,, _Yes, your last remark was tactless and it hurt me. But you need to stop apologizing for everything you do. it doesn't suit you well._ '' Diego said. ,, _And i accept your apology_.'' he added. ,, _So, everything's ok_?'' Akira asked, just to be sure. ,, _As i said. It's alright. Can i ask you how it happened? Or do you not want to talk about it_?'' Diego asked cautiously. ,, _They were climbing at Glacier Plateau when they were surprised by changing weather conditions. They didn't make it back to the basecamp, and the rescue team wasn't able to reach them. They found their bodies two weeks later in a crevasse. On the photos the police showed us, our parents were snuggled up together, looking somehow peaceful. As if they just slept away_.'' Isabell answered, a tear rolling down her cheek. Akira leant back to hold her hand. ,, _What happened to your parents_?'' she wanted to know in return. ,, _They were on their way back from a business trip when the plane was struck by a lightning which caused an engine failure. They had to ditch on the ocean. Since it was winter, the water was terribly cold. They made it out of the wreck and were found by the rescue team, both floating on a piece of the external panneling of the plane. I was told that they didn't have to suffer. That they had probably died within three minutes, due to the temperature of the water. Didn't make it easier to cope wih it though_.'' Diego answered, the sad look returning to his face. in that moment, they arrived at Akira's and Isabell's house. They shook hands and said goodbye, Akira once more apologizing for what he had said. ,, _What did i just tell you_?'' Diego responded, rolling his eyes. ,, _This guy needs to be more self confident_.''he thought to himself while driving off.  
Finally friday had come. everyone was excited, in anticipation of the upcoming weekend. Rushing out of the school, Shira, Ellie and Isabell made their way to Shira's car. Isabell's brother was already on his way home. She had told him, that she was going to stay in town with the girls to go shopping. Before they could get inside the car, Diego came running over to them. ,, _Isabell! Do you know where your brother is, right now_?'' he asked. ,, _How many times do i have to tell you to call me Bella_?'' she replied, smiling. ,, _Akira is probably at home by now_.'' she added. ,, _Ah, shit. Can i contact him somehow_?'' Diego wanted to know. ,, _I can give you his phone number. But he wanted to take his bike on a ride. I don't know if he'll answer your call_.'' Isabell replied, writing Akiras number down on a small piece of paper, handing it to Diego. ,, _Thank you. Don't spend to much money in town. See you tomorrow_!'' he said already rushing off again. ,, _See ya, tiger_!'' Ellie shouted after him. ,, _Why's he in such a hurry_?'' Shira wondered. ,, _He, Manny and Sid want to meet at Diego's place to take care of my boyfriends old Dodge_.'' Ellie remarked. ,, _Seems like he want's to invite Akira aswell_.'' she added. ,, _We can talk about the boys later. I still need to buy a new bikini; so let's get going_.'' Isabell interrupted. ,, _Alright, alright. No need to hurry though_.'' Shira replied.  
They parked the car near Rivers Haven main station. From there, they walked north, towards the main plaza. It was a busy place, surrounded by a few high-rise buildings, many shops and fast food restaurants. There also were three fountains in it's center. The girls entered a boutique that Shira and Ellie knew quite well, after spending a lot of their time and money there. ,, _Should be easy to find something suiting here for you, Bella_.'' Ellie remarked. The choice of products was indeed huge, but so was the prize range. They looked around for a while before they headed for the beachwear. Isabell asked the girls to pick out some pieces for her, to try on later. And they picked out a lot! She stepped into a changing booth, to find out what would fit and suit her best. First on was a black bikini. ,, _I don't think that i should wear this one tomorrow_.'' Isabell remarked, giggling a bit. ,, _Let me see it_!'' Ellie said, shoving the drape of the booth aside. ,, _Ha ha, you're right. That's nothing you should wear at the beach, unless you want to attract the attention of some cockdriven idiot_!'' Shira responded, pointing out, that the bikini that Isabell had on, was barely containing her c sized breasts. ,, _Couldn't have said it better_.'' Ellie replied. ,, _Alright, let's try the next one. You excuse me_?'' Isabell said, pulling the drape close again. ,, _By the way, is there someone special in your life, Bella_?'' Shira asked curiously. ,, _You mean, besides her brother_?'' Ellie mocked. ,, _No, there isn't. And stop making jokes of Aki_. _He's just caring, that's all_.'' Isabell replied while trying on the next piece. ,, _What do you think of this one_?'' she asked. ,, _Next_!'' Ellie responded shortly, peeping through the drape. ,, _What about you, Shira? Is there someone you've got interests in_?'' Isabell asked teasingly. ,, _No... uhm not really, you know_?'' Shira replied, playing with her hands nervously. ,, _Hmm... that's strange. I could swear, that you and Diego have a thing for each other_.'' Isabell remarked. ,, _Uhh, wha... what makes you think that_?'' Shira asked, blushing slightly. ,, _You know, the way you look at each other from time to time; it just made me feel like there's a somehow deeper connection between the two of you_.'' she said, smiling softly at her. ,, _Erm... Really_?'' she responded. ,, _It's hopeless, Bella. she won't tell you what you want to hear. The thing going on between her and Diego is kind of a never ending story_.'' Ellie remarked. ,, _That's not true_!'' Shira said in defense. ,, _Yes it is_!'' Ellie responded, rolling her eyes. ,, _They know each other for a long time now. They even used to hang out together when they still were kids. They both like each other, more than friends would do, but none of them has the courage to confess their feelings to the other_. _How tragic is that_?'' she continued her explanations. ,, _To me it sounds like something you came up with at the theatre club_.'' Isabell responded, giggling. ,, _But why don't you just tell him how you feel? What could possibly happen_?'' she wanted to know. ,, _I'm afraid it could ruin our friendship. And i don't want to risk that_.'' Shira replied. ,, _Besides, isn't the guy supposed to take the first step_?'' she added. ,, _Then you'll probably have to wait for another decade. Diego is far to shy to make the first move. And to be honest, you're not making it easier for him, turning down every single guy who had ever asked you out on a date_.'' Ellie remarked, folding her arms. ,, _I'm just waiting for the right one_.'' Shira replied. ,, _No! You're waiting for him_!'' Ellie almost shouted to her face. ,, _Could you both please turn down the volume a bit? The whole shop can hear us_.'' Isabell interrupted. ,, _I'm voting for a change of topic anyway_.'' Shira replied. ,, _Alright, alright. So, how's your brother getting along with the ladies_?'' Ellie asked. ,, _I'm afraid not too well. Aki isn't really self confident. He would never make a move towards a girl. Even if he really likes her. Besides, he thinks that he seems repelling to others_.'' Isabell said. ,, _Because of his fur, huh_?'' Ellie guessed. ,, _You name it_.'' ,, _It sure makes him stand out. But i don't think that it's a bad thing at all_.'' Shira remarked. ,, _Aki cares to much about what others think of him. And back at our old school he was mocked because of his fur every day_.'' Isabell said. ,, _I think he looks just fine. He definetly is in great shape. I suppose he works out a lot, huh_?'' Ellie asked, raising an eyebrow. ,, _Nearly every day. Morning and afternoon. Can be annoying sometimes_.'' Isabell replied, rolling her eyes. ,, _Just like Diego, right_?'' Ellie said teasingly, poking Shira in the side. ,, _Ugh, stop it Ellie! But yes, he's an attractive guy_.'' Shira said. ,, _Isnt he? But Aki would never consider himself attractive to anyone_.'' Isabell remarked. ,, _And that's why he'll never take the first step._ '' she added. ,, _What a shame_.'' Ellie said. ,, _What about this one_?'' Isabell asked, shoving the drape aside, showing them a teal bikini she was wearing. ,, _I think we've got a match here_.'' Ellie and Shira said, almost in unison. ,, _Whew, finally. I thought this would take us forever_!'' Isabell said in relief.  
Meanwhile, back at their house, Akira was cooking some lunch for their grandma. He cut a hokaido pumpkin into thin slices, caramelizing them with sugar in a pan. He spiced it with a bit of salt, ginger and garlic and let it fry a bit more, while in another pan, he was roasting chicken breast, which he spiced with sage. He filled up the pumpkin slices with some orange juice and let it cook until the liquid was reduced and mixed them together with some pasta he had been cooking in yet another pot, serving it with the chicken breast. ,, _Bon appettit, granny_.'' he said, handing his grandma a plate and cutlery. ,, _Oh boy, that looks and smells delicious_.'' she said, her mouth already watering. ,, _Are you sure you don't want to eat with me_?'' she asked. ,, _Not this time, granny. I'm not hungry at all, and i still need to get the bike ready for the ride_.'' he replied. ,, _Well, then go on, young men, but be careful_!'' ,, _As always_.'' With that, he left his grandma eating, and went to the driveway. He gathered a bucket, a sponge, some clean rags and a garden hose which he connected to a tap, right next to the garage door. He opened the garage, finding his 2016 Yamaha R1 covered in a thin layer of dust. He rolled it out in the driveway and hosed it down, cleaning it with the sponge and polishing it with the rags. Afterwards he took a quick shower himself, befor he put on a white vest and grey shorts. He put his phone, keys and wallet into a backpack and slipped into his black and white one piece leather suit. He grabbed his helmet and went down into the kitchen, to tell his grandma that he would be back in a few hours and that his sister would be home soon. He put his shoes, helmet and gloves on and left the house. He started his motorbike and drove off to the next petrol station to refuel the R1. That done, he continued his tour towards Sunsets Hideout. Sid had shown him the place on a map. Reaching the town limits, he cranked up a bit more, the 200 hp of the Yamaha quickly accelerating him to 90 mph, before he slowed down to 35 mph again. He enjoyed the ride on the curled and slightly ascending streets, leading through the forest. After 20 minutes, he reached his desired destination. He parked the bike and followed a signposted path towards the lake. Five minutes later the forest opened up in front of him and left him staring in disbelieve of the breathtaking view. ,, _Wow, Sid wasn't exaggerating_.'' he thought to himself. He was snapped out of his trance by the buzzing of his phone. He fished it out of his bag and looked at the display. He didn't recognize the number shown but answered the call nonetheless. ,, _This is Akira. Who's there_?'' he answered. ,, _It's Diego. Your sister gave me the number_.'' ,, _Oh hi. Didn't expect anyone to call. What's up_?'' ,, _Are you still willing to help me out on Manny's truck_?'' ,, _Sure_!'' ,, _Good, because we could need your help here. Is that ok with you_? _I'm asking, 'cause Bella told me you wanted to go for a ride with your bike_.'' ,, _Actually i'm on my way already. I'm at the lake right now. But it won't take me long to get back home. Where are you guys exactly_?'' ,, _We're at my place. I'll send you the adress via SMS_.'' ,, _Great, i'll be there in a bit_.'' ,, _Thank's, see you then_.'' ,, _Bye_.'' They ended the call and Akira waited for Diego, to text him the coordinates. A minute later, he received the message and checked the location on his map, recognizing it wasn't far from his own home. He walked back to his bike and made his way to Diego's place.  
In the meantime, Diego, Manny and Sid were standing inside Diego's garage, Manny's truck standing above a service pit. Diego was in the back of the garage, searching for a wrench in a tool trolley that was standing next to a car lift. ,, _Dude, you could've at least cleaned it more often. It's all rusty and dirty down here_.'' Sid remarked, who was standing in the service pit, inspecting the underside of the Dodge. ,, _Yeah, whatever_.'' Manny replied, rolling his eyes. ,, _Sid's right. It would pay off if you'd take more care of your car_.'' Diego said. ,, _Anyway. Where's Akira? I thought he wanted to help us? What's taking him so long_?'' Manny asked impatiently. ,, _When i called him he was at the lake. That's only been 20 minutes. I'm sure he'll be here soon enough_.'' Diego replied. That's when they noticed the sound of a motorcycle that was slowly nearing. Manny stepped out in the driveway, spotting a all black bike closing in. The driver turned his head towards him while passing by and accelerating a bit, before he made a u-turn, coming back. ,, _I think he's already here_.'' Manny said, a strange tone in his voice. Diego and Sid stepped out of the garage aswell, just to see a black motorbike coming up the driveway. Akira turned off the engine and got off the R1, lifting his helmet. ,, _Hey guys, sorry i didn't make it earlier. Didn't want to drive to fast_.'' he said, getting out of his leather clothing, tossing his back protector aside. ,, _Now, who's parents are the more wealthier ones_?'' Diego mocked, a cocky smile on his face. ,, _Diego! That's_ ...'' Sid started but was interrupted by Akira. ,, _It's alright Sid. I'm the one who started it_.'' he said, smiling. ,, _What kind of game are you playing here_?'' Manny asked. ,, _Uhh, what_?'' Akira replied, confused by his question. ,, _Well first, you drive a rather nice and reliable car and second, this_!'' he said, pointing at the Yamaha. ,, _Since when do you have a R1 and when did you want to tell us about it_?'' Manny added. ,, _Well first, the car belongs to my grandparents and i already told you so, and second, i'm not bragging with the things i have_.'' Akira said in defense. ,, _And what are you doing then right now_?'' Manny asked. ,, _I didn't want to bring it here! But i was already on my way when you guys called me. If i had stopped back home it would've taken me even longer to get here_!'' Akira said. ,, _And if you really have to know, the bike was a gift from my sister for my 18th birthday_.'' he added. ,, _How can your sister effort to buy you such a machine_?'' Sid asked surprised. ,, _That's a rather long story_.'' Akira replied, trying to avoid an answer. ,, _And when are we going to hear that? Besides, we still don't know why you had to move here from your old town in the first place. We've tried to ask your sister about that, but she told us to ask you! So what is it all about_?'' Manny said, raising his voice. ,, _Cut it out, Manny! He has just moved here a few weeks ago and you already want to know everything about his past! It's his decision wether to fill us in about it or not_.'' Sid shouted, glancing at his friend. ,, _Ok,ok. You're right Sid. Sorry Akira, didn't want to force it out of you_.'' Manny apologized. ,, _It's alright. I can understand that you have concerns. Me and my sister are going to tell you about everything tomorrow. you deserve to know about the things that happened back then. We just didn't want to talk about it twice or thrice, since it's not a nice topic. We thought tomorrow would be the perfect time; when the whole group is gathered, you know. If that's ok with you_.'' Akira said, reaching his right hand towards Manny. ,, _Totally_.'' he replied shortly, shaking hands with Akira. ,, _Now that this is cleared up, could we all get down to business again_?'' Diego asked, pointing at Manny's truck. ,, _Akira, i could need your help at the brakes_.'' he added. They lifted the truck and removed the tires. ,, _Damn, those are done_.'' Akira remarked, taking a closer look at the brakes. ,, _Yup, gotta change out all of the disks and pads. Manny brought some new ones. Sid, while me and Akira are changing the brakes, you could clean the dust off the calipers_.'' Diego instructed. ,, _What can i do_?'' Manny asked. ,, _Discharge the old oil. There's an oil sump in the back you can use for that. Oh, and don't forget to change the oil fliter. You can find the wrench on top of the tool trolley_.'' Diego said. One and a half hours later they had their work finished and attached the tires back on. After lowering the car lift, they refilled new oil, coolant and brake fluid and rolled the Dodge out of the garage to hose it down in the driveway, cleaning off the dirt. ,, _Whew, as good as new, i'd say_ '' Diego remarked. ,, _Great! Now the truck is clean, and we're as dirty as it was before_.'' Sid complained, looking down at himself. ,, _Nothing that water and a bit of soap couldn't fix_.'' Manny replied. ,, _Alright guys, gotta leave now. It's already getting late and i still need to prepare something for dinner_.'' Akira said, looking at his phone. ,, _Wait, you can't leave just yet. I need to take a photo of us all_.'' Manny said. Akira positioned himself squatting at the front bumper of the Dodge, while Diego on his left, did the same, resting his arm on Akira's shoulder. Sid climbed up the truck and positioned himself laying on the hood. Once Manny set the self timer of his camera, he crouched down at Akira's right side, taking the same pose as Diego. While Manny was sending the picture to Ellie, Akira slipped back into his leather suit and put his helmet back on, getting ready to leave. ,, _Thank's for your help. I appreciate it_.'' Diego said, shaking hands with him. ,, _Anytime. Thank's for having me_.'' Akira replied. ,, _I ow you one! Drive carefully, alright_?'' Manny said, giving him a light smack across his helmet. ,, _Ha ha, i will_.'' he responded shortly. ,, _Ok then, see you tomorrow. Food and drinks are on me. So, no trouble with that_.'' Manny added. ,, _Wow, that's generous of you_.'' Akira said. ,, _Take it as reward for your work today_.'' he replied. ,, _Thank's. Well then, see you guys_.'' With that, Akira started his R1 and drove off, deeply satisfied about how the day went. ,, _Where the hell have you been_?'' his sister asked him as soon as he got home. ,, _We were worried_!'' she added accusingly. ,, _I was helping out the guys on Manny's Dodge_.'' Akira explained. ,, _Sorry that i'm a bit late. How's your day been_?'' he added. ,, _Alright i guess_.'' Isabell answered, giggling. Not knowing what to think of her reaction he shrugged and went downstairs to workout for a while. After showering, he enjoyed dinner with his family, going to bed shortly afterwards. He slept well that night.

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 **Alright guys, that's it for chapter 3, next one is already in progress. If you have any questions, suggestions or requests on the story, feel free to pn me. And as always, i'd be happy if you could leave a short reply. Thank's for reading, see you next time.**


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